07 Feb I want to buy a diamond – what should I pay attention to?
It’s almost Valentine’s Day, which makes it the perfect time to buy your loved one a unique piece of diamond jewellery. But before you rush to the first jeweller, it’s wise to do some homework. Of course, you don’t buy just any diamond without first finding out what to look for and what jeweller you can go to. It’s not for nothing that most people take their time to choose the perfect diamond. In this blog, we will give you some tips and tricks that can help you.
The jeweler’s choice
For a perfect experience, it is ten times better to shop at a reputable jeweller. They are known for their reliability, knowledge, craftsmanship and quality. Because of this, they can personally advise you on the purchase of a piece of jewellery and explain what to look out for. You can be sure that you have found a reputable and reliable jeweller if this one:
- Is a member of the
- Diamond Exchange
- Has the right certificates: HRD, GIA, IGI and diamond certificates
- Offers a lifetime guarantee
- Can offer an upgrade service
- Has a rich history
Once you have found a good and reputable jeweller, you will be faced with the following choice. What kind of diamond should I choose and what characteristics should it have? The jeweller can certainly advise you on this, but below you will find a few points that you should consider
Cut, colour, carat and clarity
The value of a diamond is determined by 4 quality factors and is known as the 4 C’s system, after the words Carat, Colour, Clarity and Cut. The larger the diamond and the finer the colour, the higher the value. The greater the clarity, the more beautiful and the better the cut, the more perfect it is.
The cut
When choosing a piece of jewellery, the cut of the diamond is very important. The facets that are applied determine the brilliance of the diamond. There are several shapes you can choose from: brilliant, emerald, princess, marquise, pear, heart, oval, cushion, Asscher and baguette. The chosen cut is a personal choice and also depends on the jewel in which the diamond is set. In the blog Cut by our partner Royal Coster Diamonds you will discover all about the different cuts and what to look for when buying a diamond.
The colour
The choice of the diamond colour is very personal. What is your loved one’s favourite colour? Which colour fits the personality? Which diamond colour matches the rest of the wardrobe? The more colourless the stone, the higher its value, but only a small part of all diamonds are completely colourless. Most diamonds show a slight discolouration from yellow to brown. There are also brightly coloured diamonds, the so-called ‘Fancy’ colours. Red is the rarest colour and therefore the most precious. In the blog Colour of our partner Royal Coster Diamonds you can read more about the different colours of diamonds.
Carat
Depending on your budget and taste, you can also choose the size of the diamond. This is expressed in carat. 1 carat equals 0.2 grams. The size of the stone determines the price of a diamond. The larger the diamond, the rarer it is and the higher its price. Diamonds up to half a carat (50 points) are the most commonly found and are relatively ‘common’. Diamonds of more than 0.5 carat are rarer and diamonds of more than two carats are extremely rare. In the blog Carat of our partner Royal Coster Diamonds you can read more about the different colours of diamonds.
The clarity
Diamond specialists measure the clarity of a diamond by the number of inclusions or imperfections the stone has during the crystallisation process. A diamond that is free of inclusions is also called loupe pure and is the most expensive. However, 99.9 percent of diamonds are not loupe clean. The more or the larger the inclusion, the lower the value. The different degrees of clarity indicate the visibility of internal and external imperfections. In the blog Clarity of our partner Royal Coster Diamonds you can read more about the clarity of diamonds and get tips on what to look for when buying a diamond.
We hope that after reading this blog you are well prepared to buy a beautiful piece of jewellery for your loved one. On behalf of the Amsterdam Diamond Museum, we wish you a wonderful and romantic Valentine’s Day!
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